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McLaren to open new research centre in Sheffield

McLaren has announced that it is to construct the new McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Sheffield. The facility is the result of a £50m joint investment with Sheffield City Council and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

The facility, which will create 200 jobs will be the first purpose built facility outside of the existing McLaren site in Woking, Surrey. The centre will be responsible for the research and manufacture of carbon fibre chassis for current McLaren automotive cars and also for future models. With work on the new centre due to start shortly, it is anticipated that there will be 2 years of research and development before advanced carbon fibre chassis will be manufactured from 2020. This will mean that at this point in time almost 60% of all McLarens will be UK sourced.

McLaren was one of the first companies to recognise the properties of carbon fibre and as such have been using it in their road and racing cars since 1981. With over 500 highly qualified research and development engineers based in the 2 purpose built centres at the AMRC, McLaren will have access to some of the world’s top composite and research capabilities at it’s MCTC facility.

About the AMRC
The AMRC works with manufacturing businesses of all sizes to bring their projects to life. More than 90 member companies pay an annual fee to access the resources and expertise at the centre; membership is open to all.

Boeing is the original founding partner of the AMRC and in 2011 AMRC with Boeing was the first of the new government backed technology innovation centres branded ‘The Catapults’. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is part of an alliance of seven manufacturing R&D centres.